Grammar and Semantics of the ‘-go nanlii-’ Construction

This paper examines the Korean ‘-go nanlii-’ construction, analyzing its function, form, and meaning. Although the antecedent clause and ‘nanlii-’ are connected by ‘-go’, their relationship is neither coordinative nor subordinate conjunction. Instead, the construction conveys the speaker’s attitude, often a negative stance, towards the preceding clause. This study, using real-life language data, reveals that the ‘-go nanlii-’ construction functions as a schematic unit with fixed formal properties and non-compositional meaning. It serves to emphasize the preceding clause and express the speaker’s subjective attitude. Additionally, ‘nanli’, originally negative, is now used in positive contexts for emphasis, indicating a semantic shift towards a scale-based intensifier.